Banks, ATMs still short of cash at Patna, long queue outside banks

Law Kumar Mishra

Patna: Even after ten days of demonetiastion of two high denomination currency notes, bank customers had no relief on November 18 as the people were seen in queue up at the bank branches and ATMs  for exchange of old notes and drawal of money with the help of debit cards. Reduction in the maximum limit of Rs 4,500 to Rs 2,000 per person also could not help in reducing the  queue as most of the ATMs got short of money within hours of refilling.
Though the union secretary, department of Economic Affairs, Shashikant Das, had on November 17  announced petrol outlets will
also supply notes to the customers on debit cards, none of the petrol pumps in Patna had made arrangements for it on o n Friday.
Private hospitals and nursing homes continued to violate the instructions of the finance ministry to accept old notes from the
patients and their attendants even on Friday. They were turned away from the chemists and druggists too though the patients carried valid consultation papers of the doctors. The government run milk depots are now reluctant to accept old notes.
Long queues were seen at the banks from Digha to Didarganj, west to east parts of Patna, from Masaurhi to Hajipur, two corners in south and north of the state capital. Most of the banks failed to exchange old notes as they had insufficient cash and ATMs  could not omeet the demands of the customers due to short supply of cash by respective banks.
The marriages are the worst affected as the guests attending the receptions have reduced their contributions in the envelopes now from
Rs 500 to even Rs 100 due to shortage of currency notes .